Minimise Glare Layer For Depth

Glare is the leading cause of Wash single surfaces like

visual discomfort. This is walls and floors to create
most commonly caused by background illumination.
uncontrollable diffusion Soft light will be reflected
lighting. creating the first layer

Brightness

Measured in Lux levels,

Brightness can be
combined with layering
techniques to further
emphasize hierarchy and
depth.
PSYCHOLOGY
Lighting has a huge impact
on behaviour and mood.

We can feel alert or calm

depending on whether cool or
warm light is present.

Biologically, light has a major

influence on our circadian
rhythm. This is the body's
24-hour cycle that dictates
physiological functions,
including our mood, appetite
and sleeping patterns.

The colour temperature and

brightness of the light you're
exposed to tells your body
what time of day it is and
what it should be doing.

_Morning
As the sun rises in the sky, the colour
temperature of light moves from warm to
neutral hues. An increase in brightness and
the amount of blue light suppresses the
brain’s production of melatonin, letting the
body know that it should be awake.

_Midday
As the sun sits at its highest point, it
produces the most neutral or white light.
This causes the body to secrete dopa-
mine (making us alert and allowing us to
feel pleasure), serotonin (which controls
carbohydrate cravings) and cortisol (which
controls stress response).

_Sunset
As the sun moves closer to the horizon,
blue light is filtered out, producing more
reddish hues. These warm colours indicate
that the day is nearing its end and allow the
production of melatonin - a chemical that
aids sleep.

_Evening
The evening darkness allows melatonin to
be produced freely again, making sure you
will be able to go to sleep and start the cycle
all over again tomorrow.
LIGHTING
LEVELS

Before creating a lighting

design, you will need to work
out what lighting levels are
required.

The official standard for illumi-

nation is the Australian/New
Zealand Standard for Interior
Lighting AS/NZS 1680 series.

The AZ/NZS standard is based

on extensive research that
compared people’s efficiency
and productivity under different
illumination levels. It tells you
the minimum levels of lighting
required for a range of settings.
LIGHTING
EFFECTS
Along with time, light is
commonly referred to as the 4th
dimension of architecture. It
impacts how we think, how we
feel, and how we occupy a space.

We can add drama to a space

through direct light, or soften a
space through indirect light.

Employing accent lighting will

emphasise the depth of a space,
while installing orientation
lighting will encourage specific
passages and influence the flow
of movement through a space.
GLARE
Glare is a major cause of eyestrain.
You can take steps to reduce it by
modifying the light source (use
indirect light or diffuse light),
modifying the surface upon which
the light is reflected (use matte
surfaces instead of shiny ones),
or modifying your eyewear
(use polarised lens glasses).
BODY
ACTIVITY
LEVEL
Your body activity levels, or how
sluggish or awake you feel, are
affected by the colour tempera-
ture and brightness of light.

People with sleep disorders,

depression, seasonal affective
disorder and other disorders
can be treated with light ther-
apy, which involves exposing
them to specific amounts of
light at certain times of the day.

Our Night Shift technology

allows you to control the colour
temperature and easily adjust
the mood of your space, provid-
ing a range from cool white to
warm white light.
 LIGHTING
DESIGN
Teaming high quality lights
with strong lighting design will
maximise energy efficiency and
savings. Here’s some tips to
help you get the best results.

1
Start by considering the main
activity the area will be used
for, or which objects you want
to highlight.

2
Tailor your lux level, colour
temperature and lighting type
according to the main activity.

3
You don’t have to paint the en-
tire room with light. Add depth
and layering by highlighting
some areas or objects over
others.

4
Consider what beam angle and
shape will best suit the space.
Higher ceilings need a narrow-
er beam angle in order to give
you enough light at floor level.
DESIGN
PRINCIPLES
We speak with experts in lighting
design everyday. Here’s what they
explained were the best design
tips for maximising visual impact,
whilst staying on budget.

_Don’t Light Everything:

Each area has its own primary activity.

For instance, a room for sleeping will have a dif-
ferent primary activity to a room for preparation.
Some areas will have secondary activities such
as a multi-use lounge room or kids bedroom
where sleep and study are both required. A
good lighting design will cater itself well to all
of these activities. Some techniques to achieve
this include:

Soft indirect light can be used for Background

and General Lighting to promote calm such
as by wall washing in a lounge or bedroom.

Hard direct light can be used for Task lighting

such as placing high output downlights over a
kitchen bench.

Spot lighting can be used for Accent lighting

with tight beam angles that can be used on
features to create a focal point in a space.

_Design For Effiency

The energy efficiency of your lighting design can

be measured by the amount of light created in
lumens, divided by the power they require in
watts. The watts used per square meter in a
space is a regulated standard. Expertly placed
LED lights provide the efficacy required to com-
ply with energy standard and the efficiency to
achieve the brightness required for your project.
Efficiency can be increased significantly with
the use of dimmers.

_Minimise Glare

Glare is the leading cause of visual discomfort.

This is most commonly caused by uncontrolla-
ble diffusion lighting.
_Design For Activity

Each area has its own primary activity. For

instance, a room for sleeping will have
a different primary activity to a room for
preparation. Some areas will have secondary
activities such as a multi-use lounge room
or kids bedroom where sleep and study are
both required. A good lighting design will
cater itself well to all of these activities. Some
techniques to achieve this include:

Soft indirect light can be used for Back-

ground and General Lighting to promote
calm such as by wall washing in a lounge or
bedroom.

Hard direct light can be used for Task light-

ing such as placing high output downlights
over a kitchen bench.

Spot lighting can be used for Accent lighting

with tight beam angles that can be used on
features to create a focal point in a space.

_Layer For Depth

Wash single surfaces like walls and floors to

create background illumination. Soft light will
be reflected creating the first layer

_Use Height

Use light height to lead the eye and create

mood in a room. Lights placed above eye level
create high energy in a space, light below eye
level creates calm.

_Colour Temperature

Colour temperature (CCT) is how ‘warm’ or

‘cool’ white light appears. Light is the first
thing life learned to sense. The difference
between cool light in the morning and warm
in the evening is how our bodies know to cycle
between activity and rest.

_Control

The more options a lighting design has, the

better placed it is to adapt to the different
needs in a single space.

_Brightness

Measured in Lux levels, Brightness can be

combined with layering techniques to further
emphasize hierarchy and depth.
_Shape

Square light products create edges that rein-

force the straight lines in a space like walls
and benches, and help to delineate areas in
open plan interiors.

Curved light products create pools of light

that
evoking a sense of welcoming and inclusive-
nesus.

Linear light products provide a simple aes-

thetic, minimising the visual noise in spaces
by following the straight-edged form of struc-
tures and furniture for a synergetic aesthetic.

_Form

The form of the lights used in a space are an

important part of the overall aesthetic of a
room. Fixed fittings like Brightgreen lights are
fitted into or onto the building making them
part of it. Thus their selection should reinforce
the architectural design and be minimal
enough to not dictate how the style of the
interior design.

_Colour

The subtle use of colour can be used to great

effect. The trick is to not make it so obvious
or it will seem tacky. The key can be to use it
to enhance the colour it is illuminating. For
instance, a green filter on a green wall will
increase the impact of the wall but the light
colour will not be obvious.

A red light on a copper door will enhance the

warmth of that metal. A blue light on water
will enhance the aesthetic of the water. Colour
changing is the most obvious. Avoid if you can
unless your going for that 70’s night club look.

_Consistency

Light quality, colour temperature and distri-

bution can vary greatly in visual consistency
even if they share the same specifications.
This mainly has to do with the spectral power
distribution and the quality of lens design
and materials. Brightgreen homogenizes
these specifications for all products with the
Tru-Colour mark bringing uniformity to your
design.

_Light Quality

Light quality is the ability for white light to

accurately reflect the true colour of anything
reflected to the eye.